Our Mottos

‎"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go..."— Dr. Seuss (Oh, the Places You'll Go!)

"It is good to have an end to journey towards, but it is the journey that matters in the end." - Ursula LeGuin

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Its All About the Attitude

So for the past few months, I have been making a real conscious effort to be thankful for all that I have and always look at the positive side of things. I even have a thankful journal I keep that I add to several times a day. This philosophy has really been working well for me.

The air conditioning went out in Brenda's car the other day. Of course it would as we are in 100 degree weather! Anyway, we have decided not to do anything about it until we get back from our trip. Her job is only 2 miles from home, so its not too bad. On Mondays I don't work so I let her use my car. We also use my car for any errands or other running around we have to do. Today, she had an appointment for a much needed and deserved facial and pedicure. Of course, she took my car.

She had only been gone about 15 minutes when she calls me to tell me my car has a flat tire. She said as she was about to enter the parking lot where her appointment was, she felt the car acting funny. When she got out to park, one tire was flat. I told her to go ahead and get in for her appointment and to call AAA when she finished.

After her appointment, she did call AAA and they said it would be about an hour before they got there. I decided I would meet her there for moral support and help with any decisions. As I was heading down to her, the AAA guy was already there and said the tire was shot. He put the spare on but recommended getting to a tire store right away. I told her where to go and I would meet her there. She calls me back all worried saying my car was making a funny noise and wouldn't move. I had already altered my course to meet her at the tire store so I had to turn around and head back to where she was. (Remember, I am in her car with no air and we are in the 100's.) I get there only to find out the tow truck driver had engaged the parking brake. After a good laugh we head out to the tire store.

We get to the tire store and they look at the tire and agree it needs to be replaced. They also said the other front tire was about to go too. So we ended up putting two new tires on the car. So now my car has two new tires.

In the past, I would have been all upset because of the unexpected expense and hassle of the day. However, I took a deep breath and decided I was going to remain positive about the situation. Wow, the difference that made! I realized how fortunate that this happened before our big trip. Can you imagine the problems that could have happened it this were to have occurred while on the road? I was also able to focus on the other positives. Today was payday for me so I had plenty of money to pay for the tires. Also, the tow truck driver was just down the street from Brenda so he was there and done with her in about 15 minutes.

We turned today into a positive experience. While waiting for the tires to be installed, we went to one of our favorite restaurants for lunch and had a wonderful time. All in all, there was really no inconvenience and we avoided a potentially bad situation possibly occurring during our trip.

Being positive doesn't mean bad things won't happen, it just makes you look at the situation differently and see the good in it. So a day that could have been bad turned out to be fine. So, I am so thankful that the tire went out at just the right time. Now I will feel more secure on our road trip.

About Me

I have been in a wonderful relationship with an awesome woman since 2004.
I am on a life journey that is constantly changing and evolving. I am embracing all the changes and look forward to this adventure called my life.
I made a huge life change when I retired and we moved from Indianapolis to Tucson, AZ in 2006. The next major change will be happening within the next 16 months. We are going to sell everything and live full time in an RV. As always, I don't know how all this is going to happen, I just know that it will all fall into place at the right time.